My Little Secret
by Ulver33
Summary: Tai Lung is having no luck when his secrets for Shifu's birthday always seem to take a bad turn. Will everything work out for him in the end? Or should he stop keeping things secret all together? Takes place in Tai Lung's youth.
1. Chapter 1

"Tai Lung!" Shifu called out for his son crossly. It wasn't often he yelled out for the snow leopard like this, but he had noticed something that demanded immediate attention. Shifu waited as patiently as he could for the cub to report to him, wringing his staff in his paws. Soon enough he heard the boy's running feet approaching, but stopping at the door rather than at his side. Shifu turned to look at his son and shot him a scolding look. Tai Lung visibly winced and took one step back. He knew that look was never a good thing to receive.

"Yes baba?" The cub asked warily, holding on to his twitching tail.

Shifu exhaled and held his paws behind his back as he calmly walked over to his son. Though his walking was calm, his expression still remained strict.

"It has come to my attention that a certain cub has been seen down in the valley." Shifu raised an eyebrow as he continued speaking. "Is there something you've been keeping from me?"

The seven year old snow leopard just gulped and placed a finger on his bottom lip. He knew he would eventually get caught, but he hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

"No…I haven't been um…in the valley since…" He stuttered as he tried to think of a good lie.

"I hope, for your bottom's sake, that you aren't about to lie to me." Shifu said sternly, cutting off the boy before he could go any deeper with his lie.

Tai Lung whimpered softly and lowered his head in defeat. "Yes…I have been down in the valley."

Shifu nodded and frowned disapprovingly. "Well I am aware of that much, but what I really would like to know is why."

"I can't tell you…" Tai Lung bit his lip knowing that wasn't the answer his father wanted. It was most certainly not the answer the red panda was expecting. In fact it was the last thing the panda expected to hear.

"You cannot tell me?" Shifu questioned rather harshly.

Tai Lung held up his paws and spoke up before his father could scold him. "I am sorry that I went down there without telling you. I know I broke a rule, but Master Oogway said it would be ok…" He left out the part where the tortoise mentioned it would be ok if Shifu agreed to it too.

Shifu could sense that his son was telling the truth about Oogway. But at the same time knew his master would not go behind his back and allow his son to do something he would be against.

"Oh so Master Oogway said it would be ok for you to go hmm? Well I am surprised he did not ask if I was ok with it."

That was it; there was no way the cub could continue without getting himself in more trouble.

"Should I run laps, or train all day with no supper?" Tai Lung asked glumly.

Shifu looked at his guilty soon and sighed. He never liked seeing his son this way, but knew every child needed discipline. Parental discipline, not just the type of discipline he expected the boy to show from Kung Fu training.

"First you can tell me what you were doing in the valley. You very well know you are not allowed to go down there without me. I understand it has been a long time since we've gone there, but that doesn't excuse your disobedience."

Tai Lungs ears were flat against his head as he frowned. It wasn't that he wanted to be rude, but in his mind he had a legit reason to why he wouldn't tell his father. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

Shifu considered chewing out the boy that moment, but he took a second to collect himself. "Very well, then I suggest you get to running those laps. Also don't expect dessert after supper for the rest of the month."

It seemed like a silly punishment, but that crushed the poor little snow leopard's spirits completely. He loved sweets and dessert was one of the few luxuries he had, other than living in a palace. After a long day of training and exercise something sweet after dinner was always something he looked forward to. He damned his sweet tooth for that.

"Yes Master…" Tai Lung bowed and soon left his master's presence.

Shifu watched his son trod off dolefully to begin his laps. He knew his son would eventually tell him why he went down to the valley, but he could be patient for now. There was no real reason to fret over it, other than the fact that he broke a strict rule. Then again maybe he did let Tai Lung off easy, but he didn't dwell on that thought too long. Despite his lingering frustration he couldn't help but smile just a little bit. With Tai Lung not able to have sweets Shifu took that as an opportunity to perhaps have seconds on dessert for the time being. He had a sweet tooth as well, but he wasn't as open about it as his son was.

The rest of the month went as expected. Tai Lung went to bed without his nightly sweets and Shifu occasionally helped himself to two servings of whatever dessert was being served. Though as the month was soon drawing to a close Shifu also noticed that his son has yet to come to him about his romp in the valley. He thought for sure Tai Lung would have told him why he was there by now. Shifu mainly just wanted to know now out of genuine curiosity. As the days went on his curiosity only seemed to grow. Shifu had a variety of thoughts on why Tai Lung was keeping secrets. Perhaps he had gotten into trouble with a local and didn't want to be punished more for it. Or maybe he met a playmate the last time he was there. That seemed likely though since he hadn't been down there since he was five. No, the cub wouldn't keep such cases like that secret. It was almost becoming unbearable; he didn't like that fact that he was allowing his son to keep secrets now.

Grunting he decided he would get to the bottom of this and made his way to his son's room. Entering the bunkhouse he could hear Tai Lung giggling over something. As he neared the door to his room Shifu could see the silhouettes of the boy's paws through the screen. It was clear that the cub was making shadow puppets. The red panda couldn't help but smile at his son's display. He almost considered sitting down quietly and secretly watch what his son was doing. Though he quickly remembered what he came there for and coughed. Tai Lung heard the cough and stopped what he was doing. He almost thought he was in trouble for making shadow puppets with his paws. Shifu soon opened the door to see the snow leopard sitting on the floor looking sheepish. The cub soon relaxed when he noticed that his father's expression was relaxed.

"Did you need something baba?" Tai Lung asked as he got to his feet and looked up curiously at his father.

Shifu remained quiet and placed a paw on his son's shoulder to lead him to the bed. "Have a seat son." Shifu instructed as he took a seat on the bed as well. Tai Lung did as he was told and waited to see what his father wanted. Kicking his feet over the edge a bit to help him relax a little more, he hoped that this was a friendly visit.

"Son, it's almost been a month since I've restricted you from having dessert I am sure you've noticed. However, I am still expecting you to tell me why you disobeyed me and went down into the valley. I've given you plenty of time to come and tell me on your own, but that doesn't seem likely to happen any time soon."

Tai Lung sighed; he was hoping his father had forgotten about that already.

"I don't see the big deal; I mean I didn't get into any trouble down there. I was polite to everyone and minded my manners like you taught me to be in public."

Shifu was glad to hear his son was at least on his best behavior, but that still didn't excuse him from what he did.

"That's not the point. You know the rules and you know how strict I am on keeping those rules. And I certainly do not want to hear that you went down to the valley without my consent ever again." Shifu's tone was stern, but he kept his voice low. "I went easy on you for breaking it, but I need you to know that I am serious about this."

Tai Lung picked at his claws wondering if he should just go ahead and spill it. This was all being blown out of proportion he thought, or at least it was getting to seem that way.

He was only in the valley briefly. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he was just regretting it. That wasn't making him feel any better either, but he knew he had good intentions.

"I can't tell you yet…" His voice was low and timid as he kept his gaze at his feet. He wanted to say to give him a little more time, but he feared that would, perhaps, give it away.

"Tai Lung, my patience is wearing thin…" Shifu rubbed his temples to keep an oncoming headache at bay. "It's obviously something I should be concerned about if you won't tell me what it is."

Tai Lung stood up and faced his father, trying to stand firm about his decision. "You'll understand soon enough!" The snow leopard said with a little more force than he needed too. "…And then we'll have a good laugh about it heh." He chuckled softly trying to cover his authoritative tone from moments before.

Shifu did not like his son's tone one bit and his face showed it.

"Son I am not playing games with you, but I can see you are taking this as a joke." Shifu scolded standing now as well."No baba I am serious, please you have to understand." Tai Lung asserted, beginning to get a little frustrated himself.

"Tai Lung you have until the count of five to tell me what reason you had to be in the valley or so help me…" Shifu's patience was hanging by a thread now.

Tai Lung stomped his foot as he heard his father begin his count down.

"Fine!" The cub shouted in frustration. He begrudgingly went to retrieve something from under his bed. Pulling out a box from underneath, he slammed it on his bed and held back a sob.

"There, that's why I was down there!"

Shifu stared down at the box in stupefaction and then to his son. Tai Lung had tears running down his cheeks as he continued to keep his upset sobs back. The cub could sense he couldn't hold back for much longer so he ran out of the room and out of the bunkhouse. Shifu raised his hand, about to call out for him, but lowered it and clenched it into a fist. Looking back at the box on his son's bed he sighed. The box was neatly wrapped in fine paper with a red bow over it. Shifu knew what it was for and he couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty now. His birthday was in a few weeks he had totally forgotten, like he usually did. His son however, always seemed to remember and he certainly didn't forget this year. The red panda brushed his fingers over the package and sighed. Lifting his eyes he looked in the direction his son ran off in. Placing the box down onto the bed Shifu quickly sped off to catch his son. He knew Tai Lung wouldn't run away, but he still had some sense of urgency.

It didn't take long for the red panda to find his son. The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom was usually the place one ran to when they needed to be alone. Shifu didn't approach the boy immediately; he decided to give him some space for now. Tai Lung was no longer crying, but he was sulking from the recent events. The cub sat with his knees hugged to his chest, chin resting on his kneecaps. He was fully aware that his father was only a few feet away from him. Sighing softly he closed his eyes and sniffed softly. From where he was standing Shifu couldn't see his son's cheerless expression. He didn't need too really with all the tension in the air. It was one of the few times Shifu was at a complete loss of words. He wasn't sure what to say exactly, but he knew he had to say something. The silence was almost becoming too awkward and both felt that someone needed to break the ice soon.

Clearing his throat softly Shifu took a few more steps closer to his son. "Tai Lung…" He began, but ceased when he saw the cub wince. Perhaps his tone was much harsher than it needed to be at the moment. He didn't even realize he had spoken firmly just a second ago. Not to mention that he used his name instead of calling him son like he usually did when he was being firm. Shifu sighed and rubbed his temples to compose himself before speaking again.

"Son I realize I may have overreacted earlier, but I do need to you understand why."

Tai Lung lifted his head from his knees and turned rubbed his nose. "I know baba…I know the rule and I broke it. No matter what my reason was for going down to the valley alone, I know I disobeyed you. I am sorry…I should have known better. Even if it was to get you a present…"

Shifu sighed and thought about what to say. Tai Lung deliberately broke a strict rule, no matter how innocent the intentions were. At the same time however, Shifu just wanted to forgive and forget. Was that the better choice? He knew it shouldn't be ignored lest Tai Lung make another trip knowing he could handle the consequences.

"I know your intentions were good and innocent, but I still need you to mind my rules. I have a right to be upset with you about it, and I am indeed. If you promise me right now that you will never break that rule again I will forgive you. Understand that I am going easy on you for this, but for this once I am willing to forget." Shifu spoke calmly taking a seat next to his son. "Besides I couldn't accept your gift knowing I punished you sternly for it."

Tai Lung's spirits seemed to brighten as his father spoke. His sulking certainly seemed to fade away quickly and even a small smile was visible on his muzzle.

"But disobey that rule again and I promise you that your punishment will be one you won't soon forget. Got it?" Despite the harsh warning Shifu managed to say it with a smile. Tai Lung knew to take it seriously, but he still couldn't help smiling as he nodded.

"I am sorry baba, I really am." The cub hugged his father warmly. "It is just that I overheard a messenger goose saying a certain shop was going out of business. I knew how much you liked that place so I had to go get something from there before they closed. I would have asked a servant to get it for me, but I wanted to choose it for myself. I know that is still no excuse for doing what I did, but I at least hope you understand why I didn't want to tell you what I did in the valley."

Shifu patted his son's back and smiled no longer angry over the past events. "Ah yes I have heard about that shop closing too. I did like it very much and I must say I am eager to open my present to see what it was you chose for me. I should have brought it up here with me."

Tai Lung giggled and shook his head. "Nuh uh, you have to wait until your birthday. Patience is a virtue so you say."

Shifu chuckled and shrugged casually. "Yes you are correct, I must be patient. I will do my best to wait until my birthday, cross my heart. Now let's get head back to the palace, it's getting late."

Tai Lung nodded and hopped to his feet and waited for his father to get up as well. As the red panda stood Tai Lung coyly took his father by the paw. Shifu didn't protest, but gripped his son's paw gently as they made their way back.

"So…do I at least get a clue?" Shifu asked curiously with a mischievous grin.

"Baba!" Tai Lung scolded playfully, causing both to laugh contentedly as they walked hand in hand.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of trotting feet echoed through the Legendary Hall of Warriors as a young cub made his way to the moon pool. Upon reaching the location he looked up at the large golden dragon situated on the ceiling. He smiled as he saw the one scroll that greatly sparked his curiosity placed delicately inside the monstrous maw of the beast. Master Shifu was starting to make him long for it more and more these days. It was all he ever seemed to talk about during his training sessions. Tai Lung had been aware that he was training to become the Dragon Warrior, but now he was really starting to get into it. The legends of what the Dragon Scroll contained seemed too awesome to comprehend. Tai Lung believed everything the scroll was rumored to possess and was determined to work harder to get it.

"I'll do my best to have the chance to hold you in my paws one day. Baba will be so proud of me when I am chosen to be the Dragon Warrior."

The cub continued to stare dreamingly at the dragon above him; it almost made him swell with pride. Just thinking about what his future would be like was making him excited. At the age of seven the boy still had other ambitions for his life, but this one was gradually becoming his priority.

It was a rather vigorous training session today that made him eager to look up at the scroll today. Shifu couldn't shut up about it and continued to make him work harder than previous days. In fact it even annoyed Tai Lung a little, but hearing about the grandeurs of his future status was intriguing. All he could do to ease the pain of training so hard was to think of what it was going to be like. Maybe then his father would tell him what a good job he did, instead of telling his to work harder next time. Speaking of his father, Tai Lung soon perked and ear as he heard the red panda laughing outside. The laughter made the boy shake his current thoughts from his mind to remember what today was. Enjoying the stories of the Dragon Warrior or not, Tai Lung did not want to train again today. It was a special day that he knew his father would overlook, but he wasn't about to. It was Shifu's birthday.

Tai Lung clapped his paws together as he giggled happily about the day. He was old enough now to know how to throw his own party, or at least what he thought was a party. It was going to be a surprise too. He had it all planned out and with a little help from Oogway he hoped all would go to plan. Taking one last glance at the scroll he bolted out of the hall and made his way to the Scared Peach Tree. As he had hoped Master Oogway was there balancing himself on his staff. Tai Lung wondered how the old tortoise was able to hold himself up like that with just his neck. Just thinking about doing that made his neck sore. Oogway was quietly mediating before he acknowledged Tai Lung's presence.

"Good afternoon young one." The aging tortoise spoke as he lowered himself to the ground. "You have come later than expected."

Tai Lung placed his fist to his palm and bowed as he replied. "I am sorry Master; I had something to take care of before coming here. Please forgive my tardiness."

Oogway just chuckled, always finding the formality of greeting others humorous. He preferred people to be laid back during peaceful times, but knew it was best to keep Tai Lung well mannered.

"It is not a problem my child, I was just curious as to your whereabouts. You were so keen about meeting me here at noon, I thought it was important."

"Oh, but it is important Master! You see I am trying to keep something from my father." Tai Lung begun.

Oogway looked at the boy with a slight arch in his brow. "Tai Lung I don't think you should be keeping anymore secrets from your father. I don't need to remind you how Shifu gets when you hide your antics from him." Oogway smiled and chuckled once more.

"But this is different Master; you see I want to throw him a surprise party. It's for his birthday and I hate how he always forgets it, but it works in my favor this time." Tai Lung hoped Oogway wouldn't suggest that his plan was a bad idea. He needed someone to be in on it with him, and Oogway was the best choice to keep Shifu away for awhile.

"Hate is a strong word." Oogway contemplated as he gazed up into the sky. Tai Lung blinked as he watched the tortoise scratch his chin. Did he hear anything other than that word?

"Umm…" Tai Lung wasn't sure if he should repeat his thoughts or not. Oogway soon returned his gaze to the snow leopard and smirked.

"You want me to keep him busy I assume?"

Tai Lung sighed in relief and nodded. "Yes Master, if you could that would be great. I was thinking about throwing it in the kitchen."

"Oh I am not sure if I can keep him from the kitchen." Oogway chortled and looked to be daydreaming. "He seems to be growing a bit of a belly. Perhaps you should convince him to join you in your training."

Tai Lung giggled at Oogway's crack at his father. It was true, Shifu was starting to fill out his robes more than he used to.

"I am sure you can convince him to stay away from the kitchen." The cub smiled. "I need to get it prepared before dinner, when he is sure to arrive."

"I will grant your wish my boy." Oogway crossed his heart and held up his claws. "Shifu will not enter that kitchen until dinner."

"Thank you so much Master!" Tai Lung gleamed as he hugged the tortoise. "Be sure you make it there too, you are on the guest list of course."

"Nothing could keep me away." Oogway rubbed between the cub's ears. "Unless all hell broke loose." He added nonchalantly.

Tai Lung laughed and bowed once more before he turned to depart.

"Don't you go using that word now!" Oogway called out as the boy left. "Your father will have a fit if he caught you saying it."

"I won't!" Tai Lung agreed as he scampered down the steps.

As Tai Lung soon approached the kitchen he listened out for any signs of his father. For some reason he felt if he were to be seen, Shifu would send him out to train again. Probably because that is what he was supposed to be doing, instead of preparing a surprise party. Shifu had sent him to work out in the outdoor training grounds after their morning session. Instead of that however, Tai Lung was more dedicated on setting up his surprise. Sensing that the coast was clear Tai Lung entered the kitchen and looked around.

"Lots to do, lots to do…" He murmured as he got to work. "I hope Huiliang got everything I needed." He had asked his father's messenger goose to go down to the valley and pick up supplies. There wasn't much on his list, but he did ask for a lot of streamers. To his relief he was happy to see that the goose did indeed go shopping for him. Hidden in a cabinet, behind a bunch of vegetables, were Tai Lung's party supplies. Streamers, candles, party poppers and four birthday hats, all tucked nicely in a large sack. The party hats were for him, his father, Oogway and Huiliang. The cub would have liked to invite more people, but those were really the only people he knew well enough.

Soon the cub got to decorate the kitchen with the streamers, in two different colors. Red and brown, since those seemed to be Shifu's favorite colors. Or close enough to what his favorite colors might be, he did ask once, but got no answer. He was surprised that they even had brown streamers; it was such a dowdy color he thought.

"Looking good!" Huiliang exclaimed as he entered the kitchen.

"Huiliang!" Tai Lung jumped excitedly as he saw what the goose was carrying. "You got the cake!"

"Of course, what is a birthday without a cake?" The goose placed the item on the table. "I would have been here sooner to help you decorate, but it's hard avoiding Shifu. Luckily Oogway's got him busy." The goose double checked the cake to make sure it was still in good shape. It was a small cake, but it was big enough to feed four people. It was coated delicately in a sweet frosting and adorned with strawberries on top.

"It looks so good…" Tai Lung said almost mesmerized by the sweet dessert.

"Control yourself Tai, that is for later." Huiliang scolded as he smacked the cubs approaching paw away. "You don't want to present it to your father with a huge chunk of it missing do you?"

"Heh, no you're right." Tai Lung responded sheepishly. "It just looks so yummy, I couldn't help it."

"No harm done, but keep those paws away from this cake." Huiliang smiled, even though his own eyes seemed to be glued to the cake as well. Tai Lung giggled and shook his finger in front of the goose. "And you're telling me not to take a bite. You look like you want to dive into it face first." The cub giggled as the goose just blushed and scoffed lightly.

"Ahem, well let's finish up decorating shall we?" Huiliang said as he grabbed a roll of streamer. "It will be dinner time before you know it." Tai Lung agreed and got back to work. He couldn't wait for tonight, it was going to be his first real party. All of Shifu's previous birthdays were normal days, with the exception of the cub giving him some homemade present and a happy birthday. Even Tai Lung's birthdays weren't celebrated like this, not that they weren't special. Shifu usually took him out to do some fun activity; his previous birthday activity was fishing. It was more fun to swim and splash about in the river, as opposed to catching fish, from what the cub could remember. This one was going to be special though, and lots of fun.

The two conversed as they continued to get things ready. Soon enough all the streamers were up, the candles were lit and the poppers were set on the table. The kitchen was transformed into a heavily decorated party area.

"You don't think we got a little too carried away do you?" Huiliang whispered as he stared at the decorations.

Tai Lung just smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I think it looks really festive."

"Well it is a celebratory occasion, so I guess it's just right." The goose exhaled and clapped his feathers together. "The cook should be here momentarily to prepare dinner. I'll put the cake away to keep it safe."

Tai Lung nodded and stretched out. His sore muscles from his work out this morning were catching up with him. "The cook will have enough space to do what he needs to do right?"

Huiliang looked around the room once more. "Hmm…well he'll just need to be extra careful today. It's for Shifu so there shouldn't be any complaints. At least not tonight…heheh."

The two laughed as they got settled, but soon were on their feet again as they heard someone running toward the kitchen. "Who's coming?" Tai Lung whispered worriedly. "I am not sure." Huiliang replied just as nervous.

"Tai Lung!" A panting pig called out. "Tai Lung, Master Oogway told me to tell you Shifu is on his way here."

"What? But dinner isn't going to be ready for a little while longer; I thought Oogway was going to keep him busy?" Tai Lung fidgeted at the news.

"Master Oogway says Shifu was quite upset when he didn't find you in the outdoor training grounds. So he's been looking for you for the last couple of minutes."

"Didn't you tell Master Oogway that you were skipping training today?" Huiliang was trying not to panic. "No…it totally skipped my mind. There was no way he would have known not to let Master Shifu look for me there." Tai Lung smacked his forehead.

"But it's ok! We can just surprise him now, and he'll forget being upset. Everything is ready anyway, except for dinner, but nothing wrong with starting early."

"Yes, that is a good idea." Huiliang replied as he took a seat. Shifu always made him nervous when he was in a bad mood.

The pig wasn't about to stick around just in case so he hastily made an exit. Tai Lung did his best to relax, he was sure everything was going to be ok. He even managed to smile as his excitement began to build again. He stood firm and stared in anticipation at the door, looking like he was ready to pounce the first person who walked in.

"Don't forget to yell, Surprise, even if he looks really angry." Tai Lung whispered with much more joy than the goose could muster.

"Yes…of course…" Huiliang just didn't want to get yelled at.

As the two awaited Shifu's inevitable arrival the candles burned brightly on the table and counters. Its captivating flicker and glow seemed to attract the streamers like ants to sugar. Or perhaps it was just that the adhesive used to stick the paper chain to the wall loosened. You would think that someone would have invented non-flammable streamers by now, but unfortunately no one has. As the adhesive finally gave out, the paper decoration floated down gracefully. Even as it touched the flame the rest of it came down just as effortlessly.

The streamers lit up like a fuse, the fire eating up the thin paper like a hungry beast. Huiliang was the first to notice as his nose caught a whiff of smoke. As he turned to look he saw that a good portion of the party decorations was on fire. His beak opened for a silent shout and he struggled to call out any warning.

"Fff…ff…Fire!" He blurted out as he jumped up to try and put it out.

"Wh…what?" Tai Lung asked softly, turning slowly to see if what he heard was as bad as it sounded. To his dismay and shock, it was. Huiliang was frantically trying to put out the flames by smothering them.

"No!" Tai Lung cried out as he grabbed onto his ears. There was no time for pouting though; he had to help the goose extinguish the flames before it got really bad. The last thing he wanted to do was burn down the entire palace. Tai Lung was soon stomping out flaming paper and splashing water on various areas. Even though the fire itself wasn't life threatening, yet, it sure looked that way to the two. With enough effort on both parts they finally managed to put it out. The smell of smoke and burnt paper filled the room while black ashes floated around peacefully as if nothing happened. Tai Lung and Huiliang just looked at each other silently, not knowing what to do now.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Shifu yelled from the kitchen door. Master Oogway was next to him, but unlike Shifu's infuriated scowl the tortoise looked bewildered. Tai Lung and Huiliang's gaze shot to the door and both winced as they looked upon Shifu's anger.

"Inventive…I've never seen decorating like this." Master Oogway spoke as he scratched his head.

Tai Lung looked around sheepishly and tossed up some burnt streamer from his paws.

"Happy Birthday, Baba…"


End file.
